Legendary diva Montserrat Caballé has been charged by Spanish procescutors with tax evasion for failing to declare some 500,000 euros of income for concerts given in Andorra.
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Two-time Tony-winning director Julie Taymor is working on developing… a modern [film] update of Richard Wagner’s opera The Flying Dutchman, called Riders of the Storm.
UPDATE: Tonight’s performance of Simon Boccanegra at La Scala (featuring Placido Domingo) has been canceled because of a strike called by unions protesting the “decreto Bondi,” a measure to privatize all of Italy’s major opera houses and reduce salaries at these theaters across the board. Our Own Ercole Farnese reviewed yesterday’s news reports about this…
Preternaturally boyish composer Jake Heggie is putting finishing touches on his orchestration for his opera Moby-Dick. The cetacean tuner, “huge strings” and all, is set for an April debut in Dallas. [KERA]
The American Guild of Musical Artists said in a memo to members that “given the changes that George Steel wants to make in our contract, members are advised that the possibility of a strike against New York City Opera is likely.” At issue is what AGMA characterizes as Steel’s intention to eliminate guarantees of work…
So, guess who’s going to sing Norma? “Sie ist die unbestrittene, strahlende Königin des Koloratur-Mezzofachs: Cecilia Bartoli. In der kommenden Saison wird sie im KONZERTHAUS DORTMUND in einer der bedeutendsten und schwierigsten Partien der gesamten Opernliteratur zu erleben sein: als „Norma“ in Vincenzo Bellinis gleichnamiger Oper. Die musikalische Leitung dieser wichtigen konzertanten Produktion liegt in…
La Cieca hears vague rumors from here and there that there something major is going to happen with New York CIty Opera this week, possibly as early as today. According to an insider over the weekend “wagons [were] circling,” perhaps in reaction to the admission that the company has spent down over 2/3 of its endowment in…
“Opera star Paul Potts has given Susan Boyle his backing – and believes she could become as big a star as him.” [via WalesOnline]
Remember a couple of weeks ago when La Cieca called that NYT story about a potential strike at the New York City Opera “the scariest Friday news dump ever?” Well, she was wrong, wrong, wrong. The winner and new bone-chilling champion of all Friday news dumps just sneaked into the Times online. (Those of you…
Bryn Terfel recently showed up at a concert “with only minutes before he was due on stage” only to realize he wasn’t wearing any pants. [via Telegraph]
“English National Opera continues its strongest season in years with what promises to be another Jonathan Miller long-runner – a new La Bohème.” [via The Independent]
Almost a billion dollars in Italian government cultural funding will disappear in the next few years, which means massive cutbacks and possibly even closures to the country’s 14 opera houses. [via Chicago Tribune]
La Cieca hears whispers that Will Crutchfield‘s “Bel Canto at Caramoor” may be the next victim of the economic crisis. No reflection on Will (he can’t be expected to predict the future, after all), but the year the nation enters a recession is hardly the best time to try to put on Semiramide. Update: La Cieca just…
La Cieca extends her congratulations to her little sister Opera Chic for a namecheck in the AP story by Ronald Blum on the Met’s 2009-10 production cutbacks. According to Blum’s story, dropping Ghosts of Versailles from the Met’s repertoire will save “more than $1 million.” In the unfortunately ongoing “more bad news” section, La Cieca…
Official word from the Met concerning rumored cutbacks in next season is that Ghosts of Versailles is to be replaced with a revival of Traviata, rolling over Angela Gheorghiu and Thomas Hampson. No word on what happens to Kristen Chenoweth, but Peter Gelb promises that the new productions are going ahead as scheduled. [via NYT]
This afternoon, after breaking the tragic news that Baltimore Opera seems to be on its last legs, Opera Chic added the startling tidbit that even the mighty Met is planning major cutbacks for next year. The blog says (with no source offered) that the company “is about to excise four [productions?] from their 2009-10 season.”…
Sadly, La Cieca, who foresaw the beginning, foresaw the end as well.
At a time of year when most opera company employees are hectically rushing about producing opera, the administrative staff of the New York City Opera enjoyed a two-day “furlough” last week. Meanwhile, the company’s finance officials frantically passed the hat among “board members, private donors and other sources†to meet this week’s payroll. [via NYT]
You have to hand it to Gérard Mortier: he manages to get press coverage in most unexpected places!
According to Variety, America’s Soprano Renée Fleming is poised to conquer new worlds of entertainment. Not content to rest on her laurels as diva, scent entrepreneur, dessert namesake and single working mother, Fleming has signed with talent agency Paradigm who promise to “scout out opportunities in thesping, endorsement, publishing and digital media” for the artist “with the…
Verdi’s La Traviata opens the season and will run July 18 through August 25. Arguably Verdi’s most popular work, it returns to the Glimmerglass Opera stage after 20 years in a new production directed by Jonathan Miller Yes, that’s right, the oft-retired Dr. Miller has been dragged kicking and screaming into the opera arena yet…
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